Internal-combustion engine.



T. A. HUTSELL- INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG-3i. I916. '1 9 1X31?! @Qbgfifi Patented June 18, 1918.

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i lwue/wtoz mmmmmmmm y 1 T. A. HUTSELL.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG-31. 19l6.

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amuam toz mwmmmmmw THOMAS A. HUTSIELL, 01E SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, 'ASSIGNOJR. OF ONE-FOURTH '10 GLENN S. HARDIN, ONE-FOURTH T SAMUEL W. HOAG, AND ONE-FOURTH T0 ROY 3E. HUTSELL, ALL OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

meager.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1%, W 12.

Application filed August 31, 1916. Serial No. 117,912.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that l[, THoMAs A. Horsimt, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and Stateo-f Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal- Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines, and more particularly to engines of this character of the rotary type.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of an engine or motor of very compact, comparatively simple and inexpensive construction but which possesses the smooth running qualities and almost con- Figure 1 is an elevation of the engineshowing the casing and internal working parts in section. a

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail View in section through the gas intake port.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the rotor or wheel member with the blades 'in the position shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5- is a sectional view through one of the rotor power blades.

v Fig. 6 is a .view showing one of the packing members carried by the rotor blades.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings in which like reference characters are used to indicate like parts in the several views, the numeral 1 designates the engine casing as a whole which is preferably constructed in two parts and provided with the flanges 2 for bolting said parts together as indicated at 3. The casing further o0mprises an outer shell 3 and an inner shell 4 to provide a water cooling space 5.

Rotatably mounted within the casing and keyed at 6 upon the shaft 7 which is preferably journaled in double-course ball antifriction bearing members 8 as shown in Fig. 2, is the rotor or rotatable wheel 9. This rotor is of solid construction and in the form of a true circle and has its peripheral surfaceor rim portion 10 rounded from a true radius as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The rotor is otherwise composed of the central hub portion 11, and one side bearing portion 12,these two latter portions and the rim portion being cast integral. The remainin side portion 13 is preferably in the form 0 a'removable circular plate which is screwed to the solid portion of the rotor as at 14. Both side portions 12 and 13 are formed with the circumferential flange bearing faces 15. The solid portion of the rotor is further provided with the'power'blade receiving slots 16 in which are. mounted six radially slidable power blades 17, each blade havingtwo spring recesses 18 in which are mounted the spiral springs 19 with their spring supporting pins 20 over which latter the springs are adapted to work, said pins having their fixed ends screwed into the hub portion 11 of the rotor. The outstanding guide pins 21 which are integral with the narrow portions of the blades 17 extend through radial guide slots 22 of the rotor sides and are adapted to engage and ride circumferential portion or race-Way of the casing, and are adapted to serve in har mony with the tensioning springs just de- 'scribed.

The chamber of the casing in which the rotor is mounted and housed is of irregular curvilinear circumferential contour oroutline, as shown in Fig. 1, the. upper circumferential portion 24 and the lower circumferential portion 25, being drawn from the same center as the rotor and conforming with the rotor rim, while the end portions of the casing are designed to form and provide the compression and the combustion chambers 26 and 27, respectively. As is apparent, the entire inner circumferential portion of the casing adjacent to the traveling power blades is designed to form a raceway for the blades. Circumferential bearing shoulders 28 are provided to correspond with and engage the flange bearing faces 15 of the rotorsides 12 and 13 above described.

A gas or explosive charge intake port 29 is disposed to admit a proper mixture from the carbureter such as indicated at 30 through a manifold 31 to the compression chamber 26, while an exhaust port 32 is suit ably disposed at the lower portion. of the combustion'chamber 27. A spark plug 33 to provide the necessary ignition is mounted V in the casing at the upper portion of the chamber 27.

In order to provide a gas tight bearing surface betweenthe rotor and the casing I have provided suitable packing strips 34 between the bearing faces 15 of the rotor and the bearing shoulders 28 of the casing; and it is also necessary to provide an adequate means for preventing the escape of gas past the extended portion of the rotor blades for the effective operation of the motor. this end I have provided the extended portion of each blade with the groove or recess 35 to receive" the forked spring packing member 36 which is formed, in contour, similar to the extended portion of the blades and is provided with suflicient outward spring in its pronged portions 37 to insure constant engagement with the contiguous or adjacent inner wall of the casing chamber or blade race-way. Each of these packing members- 36 has the inwardly extending lugs 38 which packing means are provided for the blades,

esare secured Within the power lade receivengage with the groove or recess 35 of the blades so as to extend the curved portion of the packing member outwardly and into firm engagement or contact with the inner ing fitat all points during rotation; but to insure engagement against the extreme outer diameter of the race-way'a spring 39 has either end fitted against the lugs 38 and serves to keep the packing member advanced and against thechamber wall. Still further consisting of the packing stri s 40 which recess? ing slots 16 and extend across the full widthof the blades to prevent leakage past the blades to the interior recesses and passages of the rotor.

'each of the blade chambers or receiving sockets or slots 16. Connecting each of these sockets are channels 46 leading from one socket to another so that all are in communication. It is obvious that the lubricant may be introduced-into the motor from both or only one side of the casing.

When the engine is running and the chambers or blade sockets are full of oil, the retractionof any one blade will force the oil within such chamber in either direction through the communicating channels to the chambers where the blades are extended more or less, thus serving to keep a balance and to maintain an oil cushion against which the blades are retracted to prevent clatter and undue stress by retraction. The blades will act much in the manner of pumps in expelling the oil from chamber to chamber, and also serve to maintain an equal and suflicient amount of lubrication throughout the motor.

By reference to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the oil system is extended up into the spring recesses 18 in the power blades and from thence through channels or ducts 47, 48, and 49 to the under side of the blade packing members 36 Where it will serve to fill the space between the blade slots and the packing members to further cushion the latter and provide a tight packing, while the sur plus oil which'passes the packing members is sufiicient to oil the race-way to overcome excessive friction.

The centrifugal action of the rotor will servefto throw the oil outward to provide a constant and adequate amount of lubricant for the blades, and also a surplus which will be thrown against the casing walls or raceway.

At the bottom of the casing at 50 is provided a sump or oil reservoir provided with a drain 51, for any surplus oil, which sump connects with the interior casing by means of numerous small openings 52 which act. as exits from the interior of the casing to the sump without interfering with the movement or travel of the blades over this por tion of the race-way.

To provide a proper uninterrupted guidance'm'traveling over the intake and exmeans? liau'st ports, the ports are not entirely cut 54 of the combustion chamber. The gas en-' ters through the intake port being drawn into the compression chamber by suction of the power blades, and is then forced into the portion 55 of the compression chamber from whence it will be squeezed through the constricted passage 56 and compressed fully within the temporary space 54 before a preceding blade and at the ignition point below the spark plug. The rotor and its casin are spaced approximately pne-sixteenth of an inch apart at the portion or passage 56 to allow for the gas passage during the process of compression.

Suitable stationary brackets 57 are designed to properly support the engine.

From the foregoing description of'the elements of my motor and the explanation of its operation, it is apparent that T have pro- ,vided a complete and practical internal combustion engine of simple, inexpensive, and very compact construction which fulfils the objects or purposes of the invention in a thorough manner.

Manifestly, by proper timing of the ignition, six power impulses per revolution of the rotor are obtained so that almost constant powerwill be transmitted to the rotor shaft, resulting in a very powerful and smooth running engine. a

The intake and exhaust ports are at all times open, andtheconstruction obviates the necessity for complicated and expensive timed valves. The explosive charge or mixture is drawn into-the compression chamber by suction due to the rotation of the power blades, which blades also serve to properly compress the same and to expel the burnt gases,as is clearly evident.

Having described my mvention, ll claim 1. In an internal combustion engine, the

combination of a casing, a rotor rotatably mounted therein, radial power blade receiving slots in the rotor, radially movable power blades mounted in said slots, a lubricating and power blade cushioning means comprising an oil passage through the easing wall, oil ducts in said rotor side's adapts ed to communicate with and convey oilfrom said passage to said power blade receiving sockets, additional oil passages interconnect ing said slots, oil channels from said sockets leading to and through the outer ends of said power blades, charge intake means and lee gas exhaust means communicating with the interior of said casing, and means for igniting said charge.

2. Tn an internal combustion engine, the combination of a casing, a rotor rotatably mounted therein, radial power'blade receiir ing slots in the rotor, radially movable power blades mounted in said slots, a groove in the extended end portion of each blade, a spring packing member mounted in each groove, a lubricating and'power blade cushioning means comprising an oil passage through the casing wall, oil ducts in said rotor sides adapted to communicate with and convey oil from said passage to' said power blade receiving sockets, oil passages from said sockets to said grooves, charge intake and gas exhaust means communicating with the interior of the casing, and ignition means for the charge.

3. In an internal combustion engine; the combination of a casing, a rotor rotatably mounted therein,- radial power blade, re-, ceiving slots in the rotor, radiallymovable power blades mounted in said slots, a groove in the extended end portion of each blade, a spring packing member mounted in each groove, oil passagesjfrom said sockets to said grooves, and intake, exhaust, and ignition means.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

THOMAS a. HUTSELL. 

